KA-BAR Brown Ale
Railhouse Brewery

Purchased as a six-pack of 12oz bottles from Ingles for $8.99. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

L - Ruby, with a slight haze. Two-finger khaki head, with pretty decent lacing.
S - Roasted malts, brown bread.
T - Same as nose. Light toffee note. Bittersweet.
F - Medium-bodied, with light carbonation. Drinkable.
O - Not too bad, but leaves a bit to be desired - although, I can't pin down what. Above-average. Wouldn't turn one down, but I probably won't go out of my way to get this again.

 

 

Picked up a 6-pack of this and a second Railhouse selection to try out another local NC brewer when I spotted them on sale. Poured to a rich, dark brown color with a 1/2" tan foam that dissolved slowly and gave a pleasant nutty, roasty, malty aroma.

First glass seemed over-carbonated with an almost scratchy texture in the mouth and throat. Left an unusually sharp, finish that lingered on the roof and tongue with a more bitter and dry, almost metallic-like aftertaste. Thought perhaps I had just gotten a bad batch, as it was essentially undrinkable and had someone else try it to confirm it wasn't only me. Considered if I should toss the rest.

Figured I'd reluctantly try a second bottle several days later to give a fair chance, then unintentionally left it out for about 20+ minutes after getting distracted. Upon remembering I'd poured already, came back to find it a bit more smooth after the carbonation flattened some, with the warmth allowing the pleasant strong nutty flavor and hints of chocolate to come across. Still left a more subtle version of the same lingering aftertaste.

Overall, seems geared more towards the dry, northern English variety than its sweeter, smoother counterparts. May not be my personal preference for a drinkable English-style brown, but for those craving that roasted, nutty fix, highly recommend letting it warm up for awhile before trying.

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass. A thick beige head drops slowly with just a hint of lacing. Color is reddish brown and opaque. Aroma of rich malt, cocoa, earthy hops. Mouthfeel is medium and frothy. Flavors of caramel, cocoa, raisin, citrus rind. Overall: very good.

 

 

 

A good brown beer. Hints of chocolate and nuts. 1in head goes away quickly. Goes down smooth not to thick, slight fill sensation. A great option for a darker than amber beer that doesn't fill you up. 3 to 6 pack easy. Overall a light but darkish brown beer. Would buy again.

Enjoyed this beer. It seemed to begin to get toward a strong dark beer taste but stopped and maintained a good mild flavor. Not too strong of a taste in any one area but almost perfectly balanced in a craft brew way. A nice finishing great brown ale.

 

It's just ok

 

Very thick and rich. Dark chocolate color. Mildly sweet. Finishes with a very slight hop bitterness. Very smooth, delicious beer. My new favorite brown ale. Way to go, Aberdeen, North Carolina!

 

 

 

Very dark in appearance. Notes of coffee and chocolate. Not hoppy at all which is good for me. Drinks lighter than it looks. Overall a very good dark brown beer. I'd get this one again.

Poured a pint of this dark brown ale. Ruby outlines and a light tan, woolly head. Most noticeable about the appearance are the upward-streaming bubbles of carbonation. Interesting bustle to match the brooding, dark color for the style.

First aromas are nutty and sweet, perhaps candied. Slight chocolate and slight woody aromas are there if I dig in deep enough. As the beer warms, the chocolate and nutty notes (particularly roasted ones) begin to develop more. There is a very minor pipe tobacco scent and toffee sweetness present against the general backdrop of nuttiness.

Flavor doesn't follow the nose as much as expected. Toffee is there, with a modest smokiness that increases as it warms. And oh yeah, the nuttiness. Also, there's a surprisingly tart and bitter aftertaste.

Has a relatively light body, and feels somewhat runny on the tongue. Fairly dry and nondescript in the mouth with an astringency accompanying the aftertaste.

A solid brown ale! Might be good to pair with a pipe on a cool afternoon.

Thin. Metallic. Thin. Semi sweet chocolate.